LEN won’t sell itself: 6 lessons from HIV prevention pills
Lenacapavir offers game-changing, twice-yearly protection against HIV, but South Africa's experience with prevention pills proves an effective medicine won't sell itself. Here are six lessons to ensure it reaches those who need it most.
South Africa is set to roll out lenacapavir (LEN), an HIV prevention injection effective for six months, but successful uptake requires deliberate efforts. Despite being free and available at most government clinics, previous HIV prevention pills, such as oral PrEP, have seen low usage. In a study by Wits University's Health Economics and Epidemiology Office, personal contact proved most effective in getting people to start prevention medication, with 46-50% initiating it after hearing about it.
To ensure LEN's success, South Africa must employ trusted messengers, make the injection easily accessible once people want it, budget for demand creation, and avoid promoting it in clinics with limited stock. By creating demand through deliberate efforts like community outreach and peer education, South Africa can maximize the potential of this highly effective HIV prevention medicine.
Written by urgent.news from Bhekisisa's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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